


Of Purity and Grace

by neverananghel



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: I'm sorry for this, M/M, Mildly Dubious Consent, baekhyun is blushing too much in this fic, destroying images of unicorn, unicorns are not pure at all
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-25
Updated: 2017-11-25
Packaged: 2019-02-02 22:16:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12735396
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neverananghel/pseuds/neverananghel
Summary: Baekhyun saves a unicorn not knowing what it really entails.





	Of Purity and Grace

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much to A and K from our AKA for letting me whine about this fic and actually providing useful feedback whenever I ask it from them. And also to R because I changed the direction of my fic to her suggestion when I found myself losing inspiration to continue the first version.
> 
> I’m not really satisfied with this fic but I hope the prompter (or anyone else who reads it) will maybe like it even if just a little bit
> 
> Thank you to the mods of the fest! You guys are a blessing to the BaekXing ficdom <3

Baekhyun’s sure that being a medic has its perks.

 

They say that being in the medical field gives you the sense of accomplishment whenever you save lives or see patients heal from their ailments. It may be sad when there are deaths, but those are part of the profession.

 

But when you live in a village in the outskirts—where you’re mostly surrounded by trees and is located at the foot of the mountain, far from the more advanced parts of the country, it’s hard to get by with the little resources and technology you have. So mostly, Baekhyun—and his friend, another medic, Jongdae—rely on what is around them.

 

That means, herb gathering. Don’t get Baekhyun wrong, he loves his job, but he hates herb gathering. What’s more tedious than scouring the abundant nature around to look for plants?

 

And Baekhyun doesn’t normally despise herb gathering to this extent, but today’s just bad. It’s actually Jongdae’s turn to do it, but his merchant of a boyfriend, Yifan, who travels for long periods of time, just got back and obviously, they want to reunite in every way possible (read: fucking like rabbits).

 

He curses his friend, “Fucking Jongdae and his horny ass. He and his dumb oaf of a boyfriend are probably fucking right now.”

 

So here he is, out in the forest, almost finished with his herb gathering except for that one fucking plant (he refuses to name such plant—he hates that _plant—_ okay, it’s yarrow), a plant that is usually easily found but not right now.

 

He’s getting more and more frustrated, walking noisily through scrunching dead leaves and dried twigs, muttering expletives every other minute, “Fuck you leaves. Fuck you plants. Fuck you herbs. Fuck you Jongdae and the one who’s fucking you. Fuck you all!”

 

After an hour more of fruitless search, Baekhyun gives up, and changes his direction, aiming to just go back and continue tomorrow. He walks, trying to make sense of where he is and which way he needs to go. He’s so focused on finding his way that he fails to notice the root of a tree protruding the ground, making him fall flat on his face.

 

He lifts up his face, definitely crossed, when he spots something just a few inches in front of him. “Oh, my fu—yarrow!”

 

Baekhyun stands up abruptly, dusts himself, and carefully kneels in front of the plant to pick it, cursing and at the same time, praising himself for finding his newfound nemesis. “Oh fuck, oh yeah! I found it!”

 

He’s placing the picked flowers in his bag, humming to himself and excited to go home. Then suddenly, he hears a noise, “Wha—”

 

He stops in his tracks, all senses alert. He wouldn’t be too concerned if it’s a normal noise you hear when you’re alone in the forest like the rustling of leaves or snapping of twigs but he’s pretty sure what he just heard is a _groan._ He doesn’t know if he’s starting to hallucinate from being in the forest for too long, so Baekhyun quickly finishes what he’s doing, and when he’s secured his pack, he listens carefully again.

 

A few moments pass, the sun setting in the background, but not even a soft howl of wind disturbs the almost eerie stillness of the forest. With no other signs of movement or noise, he shrugs and turns to go, hoping to be home (or at least be near the village clearing) by the time that the sun has fully set. All his thoughts are focused on finding his way home when another groan resounds in the silence.

His curiosity piqued—all his earlier plans of getting to the village clearing by dark set aside for the time being—Baekhyun moves slowly and quietly towards the direction of the groans that he heard.

 

He keeps his body tense in fight-or-flight mode, his senses fully focused just in case there will be more noises that will help him locate its source. He hears a soft cry, a grunt, a groan, all sounding _pained._ He winces—Hippocrates’ oath or not, his medic senses are tingling. If someone’s hurt, he won’t forgive himself if he doesn’t help.

 

So, braving through the forest, he follows where the groans and whimpers are coming from.

 

\--

 

When he steps into a small clearing after just a short while of walking, never, as in _never_ , did Baekhyun expect that he’ll get to encounter a “supposedly” mythical creature. _He can’t believe what he’s seeing._ The sun has set fully a while ago, the moon replacing its place in the sky and shines directly from above, its light illuminating the white mane of a creature that can be easily mistaken for a simple horse. Except, of course, the horn in the middle of its forehead.

Baekhyun just stands there, stunned. “A unicorn.”

 

He’s heard about unicorns, of course. He knows what they are. They say that a unicorn has an appearance of a white horse with a long horn on its forehead (visual evidence right in front of him). That it’s a creature of purity and grace, with its healing powers and very gentle nature, but also fierce when they need to be. Of course, all of these “knowledge” is just hearsay from the folks who claimed they’ve seen one or at least they know someone who has seen one.

 

Well, there’s no mistake, _Baekhyun is seeing one._

 

There’s just one more thing he remembers.

 

Unicorns don’t show themselves, or rather they _can’t_ show themselves—no matter how much they are in danger—unless the person seeing them is a _virgin._

 

And the fact that Baekhyun is seeing the creature right now—he doesn’t know whether to laugh or cry at his obvious lack of “action” in that area (he’s hoping to remedy it soon).

 

A huff interrupts his thoughts, making him look up and stare directly at the unicorn’s eyes. Another huff comes from it, its eyes beckoning him to come closer.

 

So he does. He takes slow and careful steps towards the creature, not breaking eye contact with it. He’s enraptured by those eyes. He doesn’t feel any fear against it; he feels at peace. He doesn’t know if the calm he’s feeling is part of the unicorn’s abilities or just his courage outshining everything else, but he’s going to make use of it the most that he can because now that he’s just a few feet away from the unicorn, he notices that one of its legs’ usually untainted white coat now soaked with red.

 

Baekhyun immediately goes towards the leg that is caught in a [classic hunting trap](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTw97HMRYdMTFDub0tOpKzE_ixeGh3Y4Y7o5bPtd5Tr7dXF3K6f). Examining the way that the red fully covers its leg and the crusted blood on the grass beneath the unicorn, he’s instantly concerned, “Fuck, how long have you been trapped here?”

 

When he touches the injury, he can feel the creature tense up and shift away from him, aggravating the injury a little more. So he makes quiet shushing noises hoping to calm the creature, only proceeding when it lays its head again on the ground, showing its trust (or resignation to its fate?) to Baekhyun.

 

He tries to calm the unicorn, “Ssh. It’s okay—you’ll be okay. I’ll help you.”

 

He’s thankful that his father for his hunting sideline because he knows how the trap works. He searches for that safety pin that could unlock the device and pulls it to free the trapped leg. When it’s freed, he closes the trap and puts back the safety pin again, kicking it away, hopefully not harming any other creature around.

 

Lifting up the unicorn’s wounded leg, Baekhyun can fully see to what extent the damage is. Aside from the punctures—which caused a lot of bleeding since the wound can’t close the whole time it was there, and the unicorn’s distressed movements just aggravate the injuries further—it’s not as serious as he first thought. He says, “I know it’s painful, but it’s not so bad. I’m here, I’ll help you.”

 

He brings the leg back to the ground gently and then proceeds to rummage his pack for something he can use to bandage the leg. When he’s found a cloth he can use, he works efficiently and gently, not wanting to hurt the creature even more. It just watches Baekhyun work silently.

 

When he’s done, he sets the leg down on the ground for a while and proceeds to create a makeshift platform so that it could stay elevated for the time being. He relocates the leg there when he’s finished; kneeling beside the mound to examine what he’s done.

 

Baekhyun approaches the unicorn’s head, cautious as to how it will react to his presence. He’s surprised when instead of flinching from his touch; the unicorn nudges his hand.

 

He continues petting the unicorn, slumping a little to its side as the night gets chillier, “You’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”

 

He knows he can’t possibly navigate the forest no matter how bright the moon is shining, so the only option remaining is to sleep in the clearing—even if there’s a “mythical” creature beside him.

 

Those worries are so, so far away when all the exhaustion of the day catches up with him, making his eyes heavy, and in just a few moments, he’s fast asleep.

 

\--

 

_Something feels so good._

 

Baekhyun blearily opens his eyes. He lies there, eyes opened but thoughts scattered, figuring out why instead of the ceiling of his hut, he’s seeing the vast starry sky, why instead of his bed, it feels like he’s lying on cold, slightly damp ground, why is there such wonderful sensation he’s feeling, and why, is there someone lying on top of him, the weight undeniably comfortable, shielding him from the chilling wind but nonetheless confusing.

 

Trying to wake himself up completely, he pieces the thoughts he can gather. _Jongdae. Herb. Forest. Groans. Unicorn. Sleep._

He feels something soft and wet slide through his neck and Baekhyun can’t help the moan that he releases, his trousers feeling a little tighter than before, “Oh, _ngh_ —”

 

Turning his head, his eyes widen when he sees that what’s giving him those sensations is not a weird creature like he expected, but an incredibly handsome human—eyes that reflect the enchanting moonlight, pale skin glowing, high nose, and lush, red lips.

 

The stranger continues sucking and licking his neck as if wanting to leave his mark on Baekhyun, which Baekhyun’s pretty sure will do. The stranger’s hot breaths make him shiver, and arousal continues to flood his senses, his rationality losing with every touch of lips on his body.

 

Even with all the confusion, he opens his mouth to speak, “Wha—what?”

 

Hearing his voice, the stranger looks up, unperturbed that he’s leaving hickeys on someone he _supposedly_ doesn’t know (read: Baekhyun) and doesn’t know him. Staring straight into Baekhyun’s eyes, the handsome man smiles, dimples showing, “Hi, _darling._ ”

 

Baekhyun is _whipped._ He releases a full-bodied shudder that has nothing to do with how chilling the night is. The dimples just increase the other man’s charm, making him irresistible in Baekhyun’s eyes. (Seriously, curse his weakness for dimples a.k.a. the only reason he’s friends with a certain Park Chanyeol.)

 

The stranger dips down to capture his lips, his tongue invading Baekhyun’s mouth, and Baekhyun, too stunned and disoriented (and attracted),  can’t do anything but just lie there and let the stranger do whatever he wants.

 

Baekhyun’s tensed body goes lax, and the stranger, interpreting this as permission, descends on him once again. He can’t process anything except the wet slide of the stranger’s tongue accompanied by hot breaths on the side of his neck, hands gripping his hips tight. He just lets it be, not caring about what is happening and what will happen, not even when he feels the cool of the night touch his bare skin, goosebumps appearing, signifying that his shirt has been removed, and exposing his body.

 

_(The stranger seems to like what he sees because he smiles even wider than before, licking his red, plush lips in appreciation.)_

 

He doesn’t know if this is a dream or if this is real, but he’s enjoying it. The stranger speaks up again as the tip of one of his fingers (magically wet—oh wait, he sucked on them earlier, right?) circle Baekhyun’s rim. “What’s your name, _baby?_ ”

 

He clenches his muscles in anticipation—the stranger’s amused chuckling just makes him suck in a sharp breath, excitement making his body shiver. He answers shakily, “B—Ba—Baekhyun.”

 

“Hi _Baekhyun_.”

 

_Why does his name sound so sensual when the stranger says it?_

“ _Sweetheart_ , I'm Yixing. I want you to scream my name tonight.”

 

Baekhyun arches his back and moans— _loud,_ “ _Ngh—oh!_ ”

His body automatically gives way to the intrusion of a slick finger in his ass. His breath hitches but he pushes back and again, as one finger becomes two, and two becomes three, then touching something that causes uncontrollable desire to seize his body, leaving him a shuddering, shivering mess—wrecked.

 

After a few more thrusts, the fingers pull out from his body and he whines—the empty feeling not bidding well with him, until something bigger and thicker nudges his rim. And when it does get in, Baekhyun _screams._ “Yi—Yi—Yi _xing_!”

It’s both painful and so _good_. His eyes well with tears, it’s his first time—Baekhyun belatedly realizes—but even when he’s played with himself before (his toys and his almost empty bottle of oil are proofs of that), nothing compares with the sensation of being impaled on a cock.

 

The stranger—Yixing—pauses, letting him adjust to the entrance of his cock. When Baekhyun’s gotten used to the feeling and starts moving, Yixing moves with him—deep, hard thrusts, turning faster and faster, hitting that spot every single time. He’s pretty sure that his moans echo throughout the forest, complemented by the other’s grunts and pants, their bodies dancing to a rhythm of their own.

 

He doesn’t know how long has it been but after a while, he feels building pressure on his cock, and it seems like that Yixing is feeling it too, from the way the rhythm of his thrusts falter. A hand grips Baekhyun’s cock, helping him find his release. After the fifth stroke, Baekhyun can’t hold it anymore—they come at the same time, hot liquid pouring in his ass, and Baekhyun, too spent, drifts back to dreamland.

 

(He feels gentle fingers brushing his matted fringe. Baekhyun responds with a soft sigh, loving the sensation and warmth those fingers bring. A chuckle follows, not from him, and a promise.

 

“We’ll meet again honey. And when we do, I’ll have you again.”)

 

\--

 

“Byun Baekhyun, wake up!”

 

Baekhyun opens his eyes to Jongdae’s downturned lips and his dumb giant boyfriend’s face. It feels like déjà vu—the confusion that he’s feeling in seeing two of his friends’ faces hovering above him. He removes the blanket, wincing when he feels a sharp sting on his back.

 

He subconsciously wipes the side of his mouth to remove any drool, yawning while he addresses his friend, “Wha—? What’re you doin’ ‘ere?”

 

Jongdae grimaces at his friend’s sloppy appearance—Baekhyun in the mornings is not a pretty sight, no matter how “pretty” he is when fixed. Patting down Baekhyun’s bed hair, he answers, “What do you mean what I’m doing here? I was waiting for you at the medic hut for the herbs. And when you didn’t drop by, I was so worried. What happened yesterday?”

Wait, now that he thinks about it—why is Jongdae here? He remembers sleeping in the forest after losing his way from looking for that herb they need. What else happened?

 

_The unicorn._

_The stranger._

 

He doesn’t know if the latter parts of his memories are real or just hallucinations from being in the forest for too long, so he doesn’t divulge it to his friends. He just says, “Sorry, ‘Dae. I was just so tired yesterday that I just went home. Didn’t mean to worry you.”

 

His friend just huffs at him. “Hmmph. I’m seriously going to die early because of you, Byun Baekhyun. Now get up.”

 

“Why?”

 

“What do you mean why? We need to sort out the herbs you gathered.”

 

Yawning, he only replies, “Oh.”

 

Jongdae grimaces, but he’s too used to not-yet-fully-awake-Baekhyun’s antics so he just shrugs, “Just,” he gestures at his friend’s overall appearance, “go fix yourself and don’t forget the herbs—we’ll wait for you outside.”

 

And with that, Jongdae and Yifan leave him alone in his room. Knowing that he can’t postpone his duties no matter what, Baekhyun gets off the bed and proceeds to do his morning routine to be presentable.

 

After doing everything he needs to do, he takes one last look in the mirror, brushing back stray strands of hair, when he spots something near the entrance of his hut. He spots his pack, with its typical dirty appearance after a day out in the forest, with dried soil in some spots. His pack being there means that he really did get home properly, but he still doesn’t know how.

 

Not wanting to make his friends wait any longer, he secures his pack on his back and sets aside his thoughts.

 

\--

 

“Baek, where’s the yarrow?**”

 

Baekhyun pauses washing the other herbs that he picked yesterday to turn to Jongdae. He’s pretty sure that he was able to complete the list of herbs they need yesterday, including the yarrow. The rest of his memories are a little vague but he remembers falling flat on his face and being presented with the plant when he looked up.

 

He wipes his wet hands on his trousers and approaches Jongdae who’s rummaging his pack looking for that certain herb. He replies, “I’m pretty sure I have it, Dae. Is it not in there?”

 

“No. There’s no yarrow here.”

 

He takes the pack from Jongdae, turning it inside out just in case the herb got into the crevices of his bag. His search turns out just as well as Jongdae—there’s no yarrow.

 

He’s just about to propose to go back to the forest to gather some when the unmistakable sound of the bell from the front of the medic’s hut rings, signifying that someone came in.

 

Immediately alert, both Jongdae and Baekhyun leave their previous tasks to approach who came in. Except, it’s not someone they both know.

 

Well, not totally in Baekhyun’s case. There’s no mistaking that pale skin, high nose, and plush lips.

Jongdae greets the newcomer with a smile, welcoming him inside the hut. The stranger smiles back, a dimple indenting one of his cheeks.

 

Flashbacks of last night’s events come unbidden to Baekhyun’s mind.

 

_The stranger speaks up again as the tip of one of his fingers (magically wet—oh wait, he sucked on them earlier, right?) circle Baekhyun’s rim. “What’s your name baby?”_

_He clenches his muscles in anticipation—the stranger’s amused chuckling just makes him suck in a sharp breath, excitement making his body shiver. He answers shakily, “B—Ba—Baekhyun.”_

_“Hi Baekhyun.”_

_Why does his name sound so sensual when the stranger says it?_

_“Sweetheart, I'm Yixing. I want you to scream my name tonight.”_

Shaking away the lewd memories, Baekhyun feels the heat increase significantly inside the hut, the same warmth felt on his cheeks when he touches them. He puffs his cheeks and fans himself, hoping to cool down.

 

He’s 100 percent sure that the newcomer is Yixing, the stranger from last night.

 

And Baekhyun—Baekhyun can’t stop staring. He can’t stop looking at the way Yixing blinks, his lashes framing his eyes softly. He can’t stop being in awe of how Yixing’s nose fits his face perfectly, adding to his charm. He can’t stop looking at those plush red lips, the bottom lip thicker than the upper one, licking his lips unconsciously trying to remember their—and wanting to—taste.

 

It’s those last thoughts that have Baekhyun—as foreign as it is—feeling shy, especially when he notices that Yixing’s turned his stare to him, flashing that dimple of his in Baekhyun’s direction.

 

Noticing Baekhyun’s flush and his bashful act, Jongdae grins mischievously, “Oh wow. Byun Baekhyun, _shy._ That’s a first.” Turning to the stranger, he continues, “Your charm even affects Baekhyun. Good job!” His grin then turns into a full out chuckle.

 

After teasing his friend, Jongdae introduces himself, “Hi! I’m Jongdae. You are?”

 

Yixing smiles at Jongdae, “I’m Yixing.” And then he approaches Baekhyun, reaching out his hand to introduce himself, “Hi _Baekhyun._ ”

 

_Why does Yixing say his name like he’s molesting it? So help Baekhyun, god._

Baekhyun smiles timidly, taking Yixing’s hand and immediately feeling electricity shooting through his body from where they’re connected, “H—hi. _Yixing._ ”

 

Hearing his name drop from Baekhyun’s sweet, sweet lips, Yixing smiles once again, but this time with more hints of spice and something infinitely darker. Baekhyun shivers inwardly, licking his lips nervously but it seems like the actions trigger something within Yixing because his pupils dilate, focusing on where his tongue glides.

 

“Uhm—guys. Byun Baekhyun. Will you please stop sending Yixing ‘please fuck me’ signals and actually finish your task? My yarrow’s still missing, y’know.”

 

Jongdae’s remark effectively rouses them from the daze, popping their bubble and bringing them back to reality. Baekhyun immediately removes his hand from Yixing’s grip and immediately misses the warmth it brings.

 

Years of being friends with Jongdae lets him know that his friend will just whine for as long as it takes until he gets what he wants. Opting to save himself from the torture of Kim Jongdae’s “ah, wae~”, he bids goodbye to Yixing with a promise of “see you later”.

 

Yixing does the same, telling Baekhyun that he’ll be staying at his cousin’s—Minseok’s (and Jongin’s and Luhan’s)—house.

 

He saves that information for later, leaving Yixing to see himself out and goes back to Jongdae who’s already starting to whine. _Ugh._

 

\--

 

Yixing takes easily to their life in the village. He moves like he has been living there all his life and not like the newcomer who happens to be Minseok’s cousin.

 

He helps in from dawn to noon in Minseok’s farm, providing an extra hand with their tasks. After that, he’s seen playing with the kids in the village or Mrs. Yook with tending to her animals. And before the sun sets, he’s pulling Chanyeol away from his hellhole of a workshop to play guitar, providing sweet music amidst the hassle of their everyday lives.

 

Baekhyun knows this because he can’t help but stare at Yixing. While Jongdae mostly stays at the medic hut, Baekhyun likes to take rounds at the village, doing minor check-ups of the residents’ condition. Whenever he is moving to and fro, his eyes automatically drift to where Yixing is. Maybe it’s because he’s a new face (a lie), or maybe it’s because—at the very back of his mind—he wants to know if Yixing does remember what happened on that night.

 

The most they exchange are greetings whenever they meet unless during those times that Yixing drops by the medic hut and Baekhyun is coincidentally there. They chat easily, their interests mostly similar, teasing and bickering back and forth like they’ve been friends for years.

 

The only problem is that, as time passes that his friendship with Yixing grows and still the same worry whether the other male remembers what happened on that night, Baekhyun starts wishing for more than just friendship.

 

_(One time, when Baekhyun’s done with his duties and is walking back with Yixing, their topic moves on to flowers. Yixing asks him what his favorite flower is and he answers, “Sunflowers. I absolutely love them! They’re like little suns on earth. Too bad it’s hard to find them here.”_

_The next day, when Baekhyun is about to go to Mr. Seo’s house to check on the condition of the old man’s aching knee, he is intercepted by Yixing. In his hand is a sunflower, freshly picked, fully bloomed. Baekhyun’s kept that flower pressed in his sturdiest book._

_That’s not the only present Baekhyun receives from Yixing.)_

\--

 

A few months after that mysterious night, Jongdae leaves Baekhyun alone in the medic hut while he does his rounds at the village. With nothing much to do, he makes use of his time to sort the herbs they haven’t put away yet.

 

Then, Baekhyun hears the door to the hut opening. He wipes his hand on a towel, and looks at the entrance, figuring out who it is.

 

It’s Yixing. Feeling instantly self-conscious, he wipes his hand once again at the towel and sets it down. He greets Yixing meekly, “Hi, Yixing.”

 

Yixing smiles at him brightly, his dimples appearing, “Oh, hi Baekhyun.”

 

“What do you need? Are you injured?”

 

Shaking his head, Yixing chuckles, “Oh, no, no. I’m not, I’m just visiting. I’m expecting Jongdae to be here though.”

 

Baekhyun quickly stomps down the disappointment that he feels. He laughs, albeit not as convincing as he wants, and opts to tease Yixing instead, “Why, am I not enough?”

 

“You’re more than enough,” Yixing smiles, “ _Baekhyu_ n.”

 

He can already feel the blush on his face the moment Yixing said his name. Instead of answering, he turns back to his task—taking his mind off how affected he is by the other male. He doesn’t notice Yixing coming closer until the other is snaking his hands around his waist. “Wha—what? _Yixing!_ ”

 

The other male ignores Baekhyun’s (reluctant!!) protests against being held instead he holds him tighter. Baekhyun’s pretty sure that his face is now even redder than the red clover** he’s holding. He can feel hot air of Yixing’s breath blowing on his nape, making goosebumps rise from where the air meets his skin. He’s about to speak—try to divert his mind from how comfortable Yixing’s arms around him is—when the other beats him to it.

 

“Say, _Baekhyun_ ,” Yixing says, his lips moving against Baekhyun’s skin making him shudder, “do you remember the first time we met?”

 

“O—of course. I—it was just two weeks ago. Here.”

 

“Hmmmmm,” Yixing hums, “I remember a different—and way better—first meeting. Don’t you, Baek?”

 

Baekhyun’s heart pounds heavily in his chest—the sound deafening in his ears. Yixing can’t possibly—

“I remember you in the forest, Baek,” Yixing loosens his hold on Baekhyun’s waist and moves one of his hands to caress the side of the medic’s face. “And I remember saying that when we meet again, I’ll have you.”

 

“Wh—wha—”

 

Without Yixing’s tight grip on his waist, Baekhyun turns his body around. What he sees—a dark look in those eyes, those damned dimples that are the bane of his existence prominent and just overall—in Yixing’s face makes a strong surge of arousal flow through his body, the memories of that night flashing in his mind. He feels inexplicably warm, licking his lips unconsciously, Yixing’s eyes focusing immediately on the way his tongue peeks out from between his lips and swipes on them, leaving a shiny and wet trail in their wake.

 

Yixing opens his mouth, about to say something, when a loud slam, followed by a loud shout of “Baek, honey, I’m home”, breaks whatever trance they're both in. Baekhyun immediately detaches himself from the other male, dropping quickly the red clover that is now squashed in his hands and looks everywhere except at Yixing.

 

Jongdae struts in, his lips swollen and red with the unmistakable signs of a blooming hickey on his neck, Yifan in tow at the same condition as his boyfriend with the addition of messy hair. The other medic stops when he spots Baekhyun with company and greets, “Oh hi, Xing! I didn’t know you were here.”

 

“Yeah, I just dropped by. I’m actually about to leave.”

 

“Already?” Yifan asks.

 

Yixing just nods and smiles. He then turns to Baekhyun, “I guess we’ll continue our talk next time, Baek. See you!”

 

With that, Yixing leaves the three of them in the hut, skipping and humming a tune as he goes. Once the door of the hut closes, Jongdae is hounding on Baekhyun, ready for some gossip. “What was that, Baek? Did I perhaps,” Jongdae wiggles his eyebrows (which is oddly hypnotizing), “interrupt _something_?”

 

Baekhyun doesn’t blush. _He swears._

 

“Oh my gosh, Baek,” Jongdae cackles, “You’re so red!”

 

“Oh my god, Dae, for fuck’s sake shut up!”

 

But his protests are drowned by Jongdae’s loud cackling harmonizing with Yifan’s guffaws. Baekhyun hates them both. He opts to ignore their teasing and just focus on his task at hand that was previously postponed.

 

(He doesn’t stop about thinking about Yixing though.)

 

\--

 

When Yixing said that they’ll continue their talk next time, never did it cross Baekhyun’s mind that it’ll be just a few hours after.

 

The sight of someone sitting on the porch of his home, especially if that person is the quite mysterious and enchanting newcomer in their village in the guise of Minseok’s cousin, makes unfamiliar feelings rise within him. The only people who visit him are Jongdae and Yifan, and they usually just barge in the house. So seeing someone waiting for him is a new sight.

 

He approaches Yixing quickly, “Yixing! How long were you waiting here?”

 

Yixing stands up, smiling, “Not too long. Don’t worry.”

 

Not knowing what else to do, Baekhyun invites Yixing inside his house. But as soon as the door closes behind them, Yixing pins Baekhyun against it. “So, to continue our talk earlier,” Yixing whispers on his neck, making him squirm against the warm air that hits his skin, “do you remember it, Baek?”

 

Hesitating which answer is better; he goes for the honest one and nods. It seems like his response is the perfect one, basing on the way Yixing stares straight at him, his eyes twinkling with delight and his lips forming a wide, gorgeous smile.

 

Yixing lets out a breathy laugh, “That’s good. _Perfect._ ” And then, Yixing leans in. Baekhyun’s eyes automatically close, his lips puckering despite the way that his body slightly shakes from nervousness and anticipation. When their lips meet, as clichéd as it sounds, Baekhyun sees fireworks behind his eyelids. He feels just _right._

Their lips part after just a few seconds, but they’re both breathing heavily as if they just finished some physically taxing task. Baekhyun’s pretty sure that he has his signature rectangular-shaped smile on, mirroring the one on Yixing’s face. “So,” Baekhyun starts, “does this mean that you’re my boyfriend now?”

 

“Hmmm,” Yixing hums, as his left-hand strokes Baekhyun’s side, “Not yet.”

 

“ _What?_ ” Baekhyun exclaims, affronted.

 

“I want to court you properly, Baekhyun. I want to get to know you. And I want you to get to know me, too.”

 

He has no proper comeback to that. So instead, he just nods once again and savors the feeling of Yixing being close to him.

 

_(“Xing, I have something to confess.”_

_“What is it?”_

_“That time, at the forest, uhm—that—”_

_“Oh. You mean your first time, right?”_

_“Oh my—”_

_“You have nothing to worry about, babe. I knew about it. Besides, I’m proud to be your first.”_

_“Oh my god, shut up!”)_

 

\--

 

Yixing is not subtle in his courting with Baekhyun. The next day, he shows up in front of Baekhyun’s house—shirtless and sweaty from working on the farm—a sunflower on his hand offering to walk him to the medic hut.

 

Baekhyun is distracted enough by the way the drops of sweat rolls down on Yixing’s body, following the lines of his abs. He gulps, feeling too warm for the weather and just nods. And when Yixing reaches for his hand, he doesn’t shake it off.

 

Morning walks to the medic hut becomes a part their routine. Yixing will arrive just in time for Baekhyun to leave—still shirtless and sweaty, thank the heavens—and walk him to the medic hut. At noon, they eat lunch together with Jongdae and Yifan or sometimes with the company of Minseok, Jongin, and Luhan. Yixing accompanies Baekhyun on his rounds, entertaining the residents’ with his stories of his hometown and other tidbits of knowledge.

 

Before the sunsets, Yixing will still drag Chanyeol out of his workshop to play the guitar, but now, he has Baekhyun singing with them—sometimes even with Kyungsoo—the four of them harmonizing perfectly.

 

He’s never felt so happy. Just the thought of Yixing makes pleasant warmth unfurl in his chest. Whenever Yixing is in his line of sight, his eyes automatically drift to him. When Yixing smiles, before he even notices, he’s also smiling, too. (“That’s what you call whipped, Baekhyun.”)

 

He’s never felt this way before, and he’s afraid that he’s falling too fast for Yixing, that is still as much a stranger to him despite them constantly talking about themselves. But he’s never been about worrying too much anyways. It’s one of his best traits and his worst faults. He likes Yixing now, and from the way Yixing treats him, he likes Baekhyun, too. So he’s going to treasure it.

 

\--

 

It’s one of those rare days that Baekhyun finishes his tasks early, giving him enough time before he has to meet Yixing. So, he decides to enjoy his time alone by taking a walk.

 

He’s walking around aimlessly, enjoying the rare time that he doesn’t have any company when he spots someone entering the forest quickly.

 

“Yixing?” Baekhyun wonders.

 

There’s no mistake. It is indeed Yixing walking to the forest at this time. Baekhyun tries to get his boyfriend’s attention but the other doesn’t hear him. Wanting to know what Yixing could be doing in the forest at this time of the day, he decides to follow the other. There’s nothing wrong with following your boyfriend when he obviously doesn’t know that you’re following him, right?

 

It’s only a little while when Yixing stops in a small glade, glancing around warily, making sure that no one can see him. Baekhyun instinctively hides himself behind a tree trunk, his curiosity at its peak.

 

What he didn’t expect to happen is for Yixing to remove his entire clothing, drop on all fours on the forest floor, and— _shift._  It’s a terrifying sight to see—the way his boyfriend’s face elongates into a muzzle, the way his bones crack as it reforms itself into another shape, and the way the skin of Yixing’s body changes.

 

When the transformation is done, the familiar sight of Yixing is not there anymore. Instead, in his place, is a— _unicorn._

 

He stands there, in a daze, not really processing the situation at hand. How can it be possible? It wouldn’t make sense, right? At least for now, all he knows is that he can’t face this at the moment.

 

Baekhyun forcibly gathers his senses, moving to turn around and just go back to the village. But when he looks back at the unicorn, he sees it staring straight at him. That only plows him to move faster, turning tail, not caring about the branches and other plants that are in his way. He only has one goal in mind, and that is to get away.

 

He runs until he reaches his home, immediately coming inside and locking the door.

 

Yixing, his boyfriend, is a unicorn.

 

He saw the transformation with his very own eyes. And he knows that the scene will forever be embedded in his mind. But mostly, what he’s feeling now is shock and confusion. This is Yixing, his boyfriend, someone he cares about so much, someone he thought he knew.

 

Baekhyun’s still deep in his thoughts when he hears pounding on his door and calls for his name.

 

“Baekhyun! Baek! Let’s talk!”

 

_Yixing. No._

 

He doesn’t really want to talk to Yixing right now—he can’t talk to Yixing right now—especially since he’s the cause of what he’s feeling right now. And he knows that not talking to Yixing is a little bit being irrational. Because at the back of Baekhyun’s addled mind, he knows that his boyfriend didn’t even do anything wrong. He knows that Yixing can’t possibly control what he is. It’s not like he chose to be a unicorn, right? That’s just what he is. But despite that, a larger part of Baekhyun is still reluctant to open the door to let Yixing in and _talk._

 

The pounding on his door continues, and more calls for his name from Yixing. He tries to ignore them because he knows that right now, he can’t make sound judgments. But he also knows that running away like this won’t solve anything, neither will it clear his confusion. And, most of all, Baekhyun—Baekhyun doesn’t want whatever he has with Yixing to end.

 

He opens the door.

 

He’s met with a half-naked Yixing, hand poised into a midway knock. “Baek,” Yixing sighs, relief palpable in his tone.

 

But before Yixing can say what he wants to say, Baekhyun holds up a hand to stop him.  "What do you really want from me?"

 

"What?” Yixing asks.

 

“What do you want from me, Yixing? You—you’re a _unicorn._ I saw it, in the forest. What could a majestic creature want from someone like me?”

 

Baekhyun looks into Yixing’s eyes as he asks, waiting for his answer. The unicorn’s eyes shine with determination when he replies, “You, Baekhyun. I want you. I love you.”

“ _Why?_ ”

 

“Do I need to have a reason to love you, Baek?”

 

Yixing holds his hands, his entire posture defiant, as if daring Baekhyun to question the unicorn’s love for him. He opens his mouth to answer, but no words come out.

 

Yixing squeezes Baekhyun’s hands tighter and caressing them after. “I love how you smile even when you're tired. I love how you hate and complain all you want about herb gathering but you take great care when you need to do so. I love how you pout when your friend Kyungsoo dismisses you, only to smile so bright and so genuine when he allows you. You shine so brightly, Byun Baekhyun. And I’m mesmerized. _I love you._ ”

 

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

 

“I was actually planning on telling you soon. It’s just that things… don’t often go the way we plan.”

 

Thick silence reigns over them. Yixing still hasn’t let go of Baekhyun’s hands, caressing them mindlessly. The unicorn stares at him; his eyes conveying everything that he wants to say but can’t put into words, the intensity of them burning holes into Baekhyun’s heart.

 

He wants to say something—anything—that can possibly assuage both his and Yixing’s hearts, but when he opens his mouth, it feels like this voice is robbed away from him and no words come out.

 

Yixing just sighs, "I'm sorry, Baek. I just—I don't want you to doubt me. I know we're different, but I don't want that to stop us. I—I’ll give you time."

 

With that, Yixing leaves.

 

\--

 

It has been a week since Baekhyun last saw Yixing. The other has been really going out of his way to keep his promise of giving Baekhyun time. And it’s only now that Yixing is avoiding him that he realizes how much Yixing occupies in his life.

 

His morning walks, lunches, and rounds in the village are now a lot lonelier, considering that he’s always done those things alone. He often finds himself seeking the opinion of Yixing about a certain plant when he sorts them only to find that the only people in the hut are him and Jongdae. Yixing also rarely joins Chanyeol whenever he decides to play the guitar.

 

Baekhyun may still be confused, but he misses Yixing a lot.

 

So when Jongdae said that Baekhyun needs to go to Minseok’s farm to check on Jongin, he goes quickly, looking for a chance to talk to Yixing—to tell Yixing what he feels.

 

After prescribing Jongin his medicine and telling Luhan and Minseok how to care for their sick housemate, he proceeds to find Yixing.

 

He finds Yixing lying around just outside the storage shed, the scene like from a movie where he lies under the shade, with a hat over his face. The image makes Baekhyun laugh, and in that moment Yixing takes notice of him.

 

He immediately gets up, removing his hat from his face and placing it on his lap. He looks at Baekhyun in wonder. “Baekhyun,” Yixing breathes, and he smiles.

 

“Hi,” Baekhyun greets shyly but smiling back.

 

“What are you doing here?”

 

“I came here to check Jongin’s condition.” He sits beside Yixing, looking around the farm. The sun may be shining brightly but they’re perfectly covered by the shed’s roof and the cool wind is gently blowing, so the heat is not unbearable.

 

His answer seems to disappoint Yixing, his smile dropping for a second, only to be replaced by another one, this smile a little melancholic. Baekhyun feels guilty even if he did tell the truth, so he quickly amends his statement, hoping to bring back some light in Yixing’s eyes, “Well, I also wanted to talk to you.”

 

“Talk?” Yixing asks.

 

“Yeah,” Baekhyun fidgets. He’s still not looking at Yixing—can’t look at Yixing—feeling nervous now that the latter is beside him after a week of not seeing him and avoiding him. “Why have you been avoiding me?”

 

Despite not seeing Yixing, he feels the other going still because of his question. Baekhyun looks up in the sky, watching the clouds sail across the blue sky. “I—I,” Yixing starts, his voice soft, “I was giving you time.”

 

Baekhyun already surmised as much. He appreciates Yixing’s consideration, because it only proves that Yixing is serious with him, that whatever they had— _have—_ he also doesn’t want it to end. And, though drastic, the time also made him realize quite a few things about their relationship.

 

He turns to look at Yixing only to find the other already watching him, his eyes saying all the things that he can’t convey at the moment. Baekhyun smiles, “Thank you—for the time. I didn’t know I needed it.”

“I’m… glad.” Yixing replies softly.

 

“We kinda moved fast, didn’t we?” Baekhyun asks, not really expecting an answer. Yixing stays silent, waiting for him to continue. “The time you gave me helped. But I don’t need it anymore.”

 

He takes hold of Yixing’s hand, squeezing them a little and rubbing his thumb on the back of them. He admires the way Yixing’s hand seems to fit in his. He looks at their intertwined hands, and continues, “I’m sorry I… reacted like that. I was shocked, as you can tell,” Baekhyun chuckles softly, looking up and straight into Yixing’s eyes, “and a little scared, but mostly confused. I thought I knew all about you despite how move we jumped into this relationship, but at that moment, all I could think was maybe I don’t know you at all.”

 

“No, Baek—”

 

“I know,” Baekhyun interrupts Yixing, “that it was not like that. But I’m not exactly thinking rationally. But when you started to avoid me, I realized, I missed your company. _So, so much.”_

 

He lets go of Yixing’s hands and instead snakes them around his waist, leaning his head on Yixing’s shoulder. Yixing smells of sweat, the sun, and of leaves and grass, sharp and earthy, but Baekhyun finds comfort in them. “What I’m saying is that,” Baekhyun squeezes his boyfriend’s—he can still call him that, right?—tighter, “I love you… too. I still need time to get around the idea that you’re not exactly human—you’re a unicorn, _god—_ but I don’t want to do it without you by my side. Being without you sucks, you know?”

 

All the while that Baekhyun’s talking, Yixing is silent. Worried about Yixing not saying a word, he lifts his head from the other male’s shoulder, but what he sees in Yixing’s face makes his heart pound heavily in his chest, and possibly making him fall more.

 

In Yixing’s eyes are unshed tears, his face contorting unattractively from the way he’s smiling but at the same time frowning. Baekhyun loosens his hold on Yixing’s waist but the other tugs him closer, and now their positions are reversed with Yixing leaning his head on Baekhyun’s shoulder.

 

“Have I said that I love you, Baek?”

 

Baekhyun tightens his hold on Yixing once more, one of his hands coming up to card his fingers through Yixing’s hair, enjoying the way the strands feel against his skin. He snorts, “You did.”

 

“Well,” Yixing says, voice muffled by Baekhyun’s shirt but still audible, “I’m saying it again. I love you.”

 

Yixing lifts his head up from Baekhyun’s shoulder, staring straight into his boyfriend’s eyes, hoping that Baekhyun can see how serious he is when he says those words.

 

Instead of giving the sentiment back, Baekhyun kisses Yixing, pouring all his love on the way their lips meet. He knows that they’re both not perfect beings, but Baekhyun thinks, with the way Yixing responds to his kiss and how he invades Baekhyun’s mouth with his tongue, that they’re going to be okay.

 

(He does say it later, after an intense makeout session that would’ve been something more if Luhan, unfortunately, didn’t interrupt them.

 

Baekhyun’s head is on Yixing’s lap, the latter carding his fingers through Baekhyun’s hair, sighing contently every now and then. Yixing’s not looking at him, but he can’t help the way he stares at Yixing, admiring his features.

 

He thinks that this moment is perfect. “I love you.”

 

Yixing doesn’t hear it at first, looking down at Baekhyun and letting out a distracted “hmm?” to him. “I said,” Baekhyun says, louder, “that I love you. Too.”

 

The way Yixing smiles down at him makes the moment even better.)

 

\--

 

**EPILOGUE:**

 

Jongdae eagerly tugs his boyfriend’s hands through the deeper part of the forest, excited to try something new for their sex life. Ever since Baekhyun became occupied with Minseok’s cousin, he’s seen his friend less—which means that he now has more time fucking his boyfriend than babysitting a certain horny virgin (which—Jongdae is definitely sure about this—is not the case any more courtesy of Yixing).

 

When he’s deemed themselves at a safe part of the forest, Jongdae’s about to tackle Yifan to the ground when he hears the unmistakable sounds of a moan coming very, very near from their location.

 

Mood instantly ruined, Jongdae detaches himself from Yifan—the latter squawking a protest—to determine the source of those sounds. It seems like they are not the only ones who thought of copulating among Mother Nature’s creations.

 

The moment he parts the branches obscuring his view is possibly the most horrifying moment of Jongdae’s—and consequently, Yifan’s—life.

 

There, on the clearing, is Baekhyun and Yixing.

 

It’s only that Baekhyun is stark naked, his clothing discarded and left scattered on the grass, while on his hands his knees. His expression is pure bliss, eyes closed, mouth open and drooling. The reason is that of an equally unclothed Yixing behind him, holding Baekhyun’s cheeks apart as he pushes his cock (a very nice cock, if Jongdae is honest and if this comment won’t earn him the cold shoulder from his boyfriend) in the other’s medic’s asshole.

 

Yifan and Jongdae leave as quietly and as quickly as possible, both scarred for life. But they’re not fast enough before they hear Baekhyun’s moan of “Fuck— _Yixing—_ right there—ngh—” and Yixing’s response of “Baek—shit— _so tight—_ ”.

 

“This is your fault, Fan,” Jongdae fumes, his feet moving as fast as possible without breaking into an actual run, “this was your idea.”

 

Yifan just pouts at his boyfriend. He might have to cross out fucking in the forest. (For the meantime at least.)

**Author's Note:**

> Some things that happened but I’m too pressed for time to think of how to include them in the fic:  
> \- Yixing confessing that he was the unicorn that Baekhyun saved the same night that they first met. He also confesses that he may have healing abilities, but he’s too weak that time that he can’t heal himself that time. So he stole the yarrow that Baekhyun gathered when he shifted back to human after Baek fell asleep to help heal himself.  
> \- Baekhyun riding Yixing in his unicorn form. (Not in a sexual way, you pervs!!!!)  
> \- Minseok, Jongin, and Luhan are all in a relationship. #POLYAMORYFTW
> 
> * Yarrow is a plant of yellow flowers that are said to stop bleeding. It was also believed that this was what Achilles used to treat his men.  
> * Red clover is a plant that has red-purplish flowers.  
> * Not proofread / beta’d.


End file.
